3525. BACON-WRAPPED ELK CHOPS with PICKLED BRUSSELS SPROUTS and PUMPKIN PUREE

yields four servings


Brussels sprouts: 
6 cups apple cider vinegar
2 cups distilled vinegar
1/2 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 ounces pickling spice
1 ounce red pepper flakes
1 ounce whole peppercorns
1/2 bunch fresh dill
3 bay leaves
1 pound Brussels sprouts

Pumpkin puree:
1 small to medium pumpkin
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 stick butter, melted
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Elk chops:
1 ounce fresh rosemary
1 ounce fresh sage
Oil, for frying and searing
1 rack elk chops, broken down into double chops
1 pound sliced bacon

Demi-glace:
4 cups beef stock or 1 cup beef demi-glace
Unsalted butter, optional

For the Brussels sprouts: Combine 8 cups water, the apple cider vinegar, distilled vinegar, kosher salt, sugar, pickling spice, red pepper flakes, whole peppercorn, fresh dill and bay leaves, into a large pot and bring to a boil. Cut the Brussels sprouts into quarters, place them into a large container and pour the boiling liquid over them. Let the sprouts sit overnight, or at least 1 to 2 hours so they are at room temperature.

For the pumpkin puree: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Remove the seeds from the pumpkin. Quarter the clean pumpkin and roast in the oven until tender, 30 to 45 minutes.
Scoop out the meat of the pumpkin into a bowl and add the brown sugar, melted butter, maple syrup, cinnamon and nutmeg. Combine the ingredients by hand using a wooden spoon. Look for a slightly chunky consistency.

For the elk chops: Decrease the oven to 350 degrees F. Fry the rosemary and sage in some oil. Crumble the herbs, rub them on the sides of the elk chops and then wrap with the bacon. Secure with butcher's twine.
Add some oil to a hot pan and sear the elk chops, achieving a nice caramel color before flipping over and repeating on the other side. Finish cooking in the oven until medium.

For the demi-glace: Reduce the beef stock by three-quarters over low heat. Butter can be added if desired.

When the meat is cooked, place a large spoonful of the hot pumpkin puree on a plate. Remove the butcher's twine from the chop and lean it against the puree. Drizzle the demi-glace over the chop. Garnish the dish with a few pieces of the pickled sprouts and the dish is ready to serve.


bacon recipe source: adapted from Brian Jupiter, "Frontier," America's Best Bites, Cooking Channel

2396. ELK TARRAGON VEGETABLE POTATO PIE with BACON

1 1/2 pound ground elk
1/2 pound ground elk Italian sausage
3 celery stalks (chopped 1/4 inch or shredded)
3 carrots (chopped 1/4 inch or shredded)
2 zucchinis (chopped 1/4 inch or shredded)
1 medium onion (chopped)
2 shallots
1 slice bacon
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup mashed potato
fresh tarragon
salt and pepper
2 puffed pastries (defrosted)
1 egg yolk beaten with 1 tablespoon water

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Add ground elk and elk sausage to skillet and cook until browned. Remove meat from skillet and set aside.

Add butter and bacon to skillet and proceed to sauté chopped celery, carrots, zucchini, onion, shallots and fresh tarragon. Approximately 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add mashed potatoes, elk meat and cheese to pan. Remove from heat and stir.

On a floured surface, roll 1 pastry sheet to be the size of your pie dish. Place the pastry sheet on the bottom of the dish. Transfer meat and vegetables into the pan.

Brush the outer edge of the bottom pastry sheet with egg wash.

Roll the second pastry sheet out on floured surface and cover the top of the meat. Press and close the edges of the pastry sheets together. Brush top of the pastry sheet with remaining egg wash. Season with salt and pepper. Cut an ‘X’ into the top of the pastry.

Bake for approximately 45 minutes. Watch the edges of pastry so not to burn. Remove from oven when done and enjoy.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Kristy Crabtree, for Nevada Foodies: A Collection of Nevada Wild Game Recipes, January 29, 2010

1693. BACON-WRAPPED ELK BACKSTRAPS

2 lbs elk backstraps, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces/steaks
1-2 lb bacon
3 cups brown sugar
2 cups soy sauce
1/4 cup white sugar

Mix brown sugar and soy sauce together in a bowl. Mix till combined into a soup liquid. Place the meat either in a large freezer bag or a bowl that seals tight with a lid. Let the meat marinade overnight. Remove the backstraps and place on a broiler pan or some sort of slotted bake sheet with a drip pan or aluminum foil below to catch dripping. Wrap bacon around the entire piece of meat, securing the bacon strip with a toothpick. Lightly drizzle remaining marinade over loins, and sprinkle with a small amount of white sugar. Place on center rack in oven and bake at 350°F for 30 minutes for medium cook and until bacon is done.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Lynn Shilley, A Washington Hunter Girl's Blog, Naches, Washington, March 15, 2009

518. APPLESAUCE, BACON, and ELK MEAT LOAF

1 cup applesauce
2 tbsp chopped onion
salt to taste
1 tbsp prepared mustard
1 lb ground elk meat
1 tsp vinegar
cup brown sugar
1 cup soft bread crumbs
tsp pepper
1 tbsp finely chopped celery
1 egg beaten
2 slices lightly cooked
bacon, crumbled
1 tsp prepared mustard

Combine bread crumbs and 1/2 cup applesauce. Add onion, salt, pepper, celery, mustard, bacon, egg and ground ELK meat. Blend thoroughly. Shape into round in a 9" x 9" x 2" pan. With a spoon, make an impression in top of the loaf. Combine the second 1/2 cup applesauce, brown sugar, vinegar and mustard. Pour into the impression in meat loaf. Bake at 350 degrees F. for one hour.


courtesy of: Regal Point Elk Farm, R.R.#2, Wiarton, Ontario, N0H 2K0

517. ELK CORDON BLEU MEAT LOAF

2 lbs ground elk
1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, grated
1 stalk celery
1 1/3 cups cracker crumbs
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
4 strips bacon
1 tsp dry mustard
2 tbsp horseradish
1 tsp salt
grated several slices of ham
several slices of Swiss cheese

Combine all ingredients except ham, cheese and bacon. After mixing well, pat out on a piece of plastic wrap to make a rectangle 15x12”. Place ham and cheese on top. Roll the loaf lengthwise. The plastic wrap will help you roll, as well as transfer the loaf seam side down onto the baking pan. Remove plastic wrap. Make sure you seal the ends of the loaf well. Place bacon on top. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes to 1 hour.


courtesy of: Wildridge Elk Ventures Inc., Hay Lakes, Alberta, Canada

454. ROASTED ELK TENDERLOIN with BACON-WRAPPED SALSIFY, JERUSALEM ARTICHOKES, and CREAMY WILD MUSHROOM SAUCE

yields 4 servings


4 cups water
4 cups whole milk
2 bay leaves
10 black peppercorns
16 stalks salsify, peeled
16 slices smoked bacon
1/4 pound (1 stick) butter, divided
2 pounds elk tenderloin, completely cleaned
6 Jerusalem artichokes, peeled sliced into 1/8-inch rounds
1-ounce diced shallots
4 ounces baby arugula
Mushroom Sauce, recipe follows
Chopped chives, for garnish

In a large saucepan or stockpot, combine 4 cups water with the milk, bay leaves, and peppercorns. Bring to a simmer and then poach peeled salsify; cook just until the salsify is soft, but not mushy. Remove the salsify from the poaching liquid, and refrigerate. Once the salsify is cooled, wrap 1 slice of bacon around each stalk of salsify.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Roast the bacon wrapped salsify in the oven until the bacon browns slightly, about 10 to 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium ovenproof skillet, melt 1/2 stick butter over medium-high heat. Add elk tenderloin to hot pan and sear until browned on both sides, and then transfer pan to oven and roast until cooked to desired doneness. (Be careful, as elk tenderloin cooks quickly.)

In a medium skillet, melt 1/2 stick butter over medium-high heat. Add Jerusalem artichokes and saute until the edges turn slightly brown. Then add shallots and saute for 1 minute more. Add arugula and remove from heat.

In the center of the plate, make a circle of wild mushroom sauce. Place the salsify on top of the sauce, and the artichoke-arugula mixture on top of the salsify. Slice the elk tenderloin and place on top of the artichoke-arugula mixture. Garnish with chives.

Mushroom Sauce:
1/4 pound (1 stick) butter
1 pound mixed wild mushrooms, cleaned
3 ounces diced shallots
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
2 cups heavy cream
2 tablespoons aged sherry vinegar
2 ounces foie gras, optional
Salt and pepper

Melt 1 stick butter in a large skillet over high heat. Add mushrooms and saute over high heat until browned. When mushrooms have browned, add 3 ounces diced shallots and the thyme. Cook mixture for 2 minutes more and then add cream. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until the cream has reduced by half. Next, pour mixture into blender*, add sherry vinegar and foie gras, if using, and blend until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

NOTE:When blending hot liquids: Remove liquid from the heat and allow to cool for at least 5 minutes. Transfer liquid to a blender or food processor and fill it no more than halfway. If using a blender, release one corner of the lid. This prevents the vacuum effect that creates heat explosions. Place a towel over the top of the machine, pulse a few times then process on high speed until smooth.


courtesy of: Chef Warren Schwartz, Saddle Peak Lodge, Calabasas, California

101. BARBECUED ELK with BACON

a.k.a. "Bubbly Barbecued Elk"


1 1/2 lbs. boneless elk steak
4 strips bacon
1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/2 to 1 cup water
1/4 cup brown sugar (packed)
3 tbsp. onion (minced)
1 tsp. instant beef bouillon
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 cup red wine

Remove any fat from the elk steak and cut it into bite-size pieces. In a heavy, covered skillet or electric fry pan, fry bacon until crisp. Remove, bacon; crumble and set aside. Brown elk in drippings; drain off excess grease and add bacon along with remaining ingredients except for wine. Mix well; lower beat, cover and slowly simmer for one hour or until elk is tender. Add water as needed. When meat is done, stir in wine. Serve at once on toasted buns. If you like the sauce thicker, add one tablespoon of cornstarch mixed in two tablespoons of cold water. Stir constantly as mixture thickens.


courtesy of: Elk Meat Shop, Don Schneider, Watertown, South Dakota